Disney theme park boss Josh D’Amaro offered a rare sneak peek at a pair of innovative blue-sky technologies that Walt Disney Imagineering is working on for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Avengers Campus and Disney theme parks around the globe.
The Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman showed off a “real” Star Wars lightsaber and teased a Groot walking audio-animatronic during a virtual press event to announce the June 4 opening date of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure.
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The “real” Star Wars lightsaber and Groot walking audio-animatronic made brief cameo appearances at the end of the 30-minute press event while D’Amaro was discussing the innovative technology Imagineering is working on for Disney theme parks around the world.
“We have big plans for our future and we’re going to need next level dreamers to make it happen,” D’Amaro said during the press event. “That’s why we’re bringing together a highly talented multidisciplinary team that is tasked with exploring groundbreaking ideas that shape the future of the guest experience and help us stay relevant for decades to come.”
The Star Wars lightsaber and Groot audio-animatronic represent the creativity and innovation of Walt Disney Imagineering’s research and development team, according to Disney officials. Both projects remain in the early concept exploration phase and are not yet ready for Disney theme parks, Disney officials said.
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The brief display of Imagineering future-tech — which played out like a pair of end-credit scenes in a Marvel superhero movie — showcased the endless possibilities that Disney’s creative arm is exploring in hopes of finding more immersive ways to tell stories in the future.
Toward the end of the webcast, D’Amaro dramatically revealed a silver lightsaber hilt while standing in front of an X-Wing in Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.
“You never know what we’re going to come up with next,” D’Amaro said during the press event.
The distinctive sound of a lightsaber powering up was followed by a white blade of light seemingly emerging from the hilt in D’Amaro’s hand. Was it CGI trickery?
“It’s real,” D’Amaro said with a smile.
The prototype lightsaber has potential to become a prop in a Star Wars show at a Disney theme park.
A lightsaber skills training experience will be offered at the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel under construction at Walt Disney World.
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A 10-second video with no introduction immediately followed showing a 3-foot-tall Groot audio-animatronic freely walking across the floor of a secret Imagineering lab.
The animatronic figure of the extraterrestrial tree-like creature from the “Guardian of the Galaxy” films appeared to be halfway between his Baby Groot size and his taller tree height. Call him Tween Groot.
Could the “real” Star Wars lightsaber and Tween Groot animatronic be coming soon to Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and the upcoming Avengers Campus at DCA?
Imagineering has tested out other future-tech in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
SEE ALSO: How Avengers Campus will be like Disneyland’s Tomorrowland
J4-K3 — or “Jake” as the Star Wars droid is known — has been play-tested inside the Star Wars Launch Bay building and outdoors around Tomorrowland. J4-K3 is part of Imagineering’s autonomous character pilot program.
A high-flying Spider-Man autonomous “stuntronic” robot will swing above rooftops and perform midair acrobatic feats when the new Avengers Campus opens this summer at Disney California Adventure. Imagineering has been testing the Spider-Man stunt robot’s ability to perform somersaults and backflips ahead of the debut of Avengers Campus.
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